Type-writer



No. 623,262. Patented Apr. I8, [899.

W. SEARS.

TYPE WRITER.

(Application filed Mar. 11, 1898.) (No Model.)

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\VILLIAM SEARS, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

TYPE-WRITER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 623,262, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed March 1 1, 1 8 9 8- T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, XVILLIAM SEARS, of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Type-\Vriters, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to type-writing machines; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of a series of movable and interchangeable bridge or shield pieces that are adapted to be fixed at intervals along the carriage of a type-writer and to so act upon the holding and limber pawls of the paper-carrying carriage that the motion of the said carriage may be regulated so as to move the paper any required number of spaces without printing, then printing the required number of characters, and then again moving the paper any required number of spaces.

The exact nature and object of my invention may be best understood by reference to the specification and drawings.

In the drawings, Figure lshows in plan the rack and connecting parts of a well-known type-writing machine, (the Smith Premier.) Fig. 2 is an elevation showing portions of the same parts that are shown in plan in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross vertical section taken on line so it of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective showing one of my shield-pieces. Fig. 6 shows in plan two shieldpieces made slightly different from the shieldpiece shown in perspective in Fig. 5.

I have chosen for illustration the rack and its adjuncts that is found in the Smith Premier machine; but my improvement may with slight modifications be applied to other machines.

A represents the rack, which is attached to the paper-carriage of the machine. The carriage is moved by a spring device (not shown) and is controlled in its movement by theletolfpawl E and the check limber-pawl H. (See Fig. 2.) The check or limber pawl H is moved in the usual manner -that is, it is attached to a rocker-shaft H. This rocker-shaft H has at its rear end a crank-arm H H which is caused to oscillate by an upright H. The front end of the rocker-shaft H has a short arm 7% extending from it and passing under a Serial No. 673,504. (No model.)

screw 6, that passes through the holdingpawl E, so that as the rocker-shaft is made to rotate, it, acting through to the arm h and the screw 6, will throw up the holding let-off pawl E.

The above-referredto parts are not new and need not be more fully. described, their functions being simply to allow the paper-carriage extend over the swinging feed-releasing bar- N. This bar N is hinged to the carriage of the machine in such a manner than when desirable it is swung upward, and its edge in its upward movement will come into contact with the pawl-arm E and throw the pawl E out of contact with the rack A and allow the carriage to move to the left, the limber-pawl being normally out of engagement with the rack-bar.

The above-described arrangement will allow the carriage-to run back from any position to the extreme left, from which point it ispnshed back by the operator to the startin g-point.

My invention consists in making a series of shield-pieces, such as is shown in Fig. 5 or as shown at L and L in Fig. 6. These shieldpieces are made of different lengths and are constructed in such a manner that they may be readily placed at any desired points on the bar N. Each of the shield-pieces has upon its upper surface cam-blocks K K. The camblock K is intended to act upon the arm E and raise the pawl E, while the cam-block K is adapted to act upon the arm H and prevent the printing-keyfrom being operated. It will be noticed that the cam-block K occupies a position on the shield L in advance of the cam-block K and that both of the camblocks are of equal length. These cam-blocks are thus arranged in order that they may act simultaneously upon the pawls E and H, the pawl E allowing the paper-carriage to slide back a distance equal to the length of the cam-block K-that is, the cam-block K as the carriage is moving to the left will at a certain point lift the pawl E and allow the carriage to slide to the left until the camblock has passed out from under the projection E on the pawl E. Then the pawl E will drop in position and engage with the teeth on the rack A, and thus stop the further movement of the carriage.

The projection H on the pawl H prevents the'pawl H from being worked by the spacebarthat is, the shaft H and the space-bar cannot be operated by any of the printingkeys. Therefore no printing can be done while the cam-blocks are at the pawls.

The shield-pieces L may be of any length and are arranged with small projection-pins M, adapted to engage with the perforations P P made in the bar N. (See Fig. 1..) These perforations are located to correspond with the graduation on the scale in front of the machine, so that the shields L may be located in such a manner that the carriage will move over any desired intervals that the operator may wish. The spaces and location of the spaces may be determined by the operator from the front Scale--that is, if he wants to print, say, from 1 to 5 and then wants a space extending from 5 to 12 he willtake a shield of the proper length and place it upon the bar N, so as to cover from 5 to 12. Then if he wishes to print for five spaces and requires another blank he locates a second shield, and so on.

The shield shown in Fig. 5 has downwardlyprojecting flanges R, adapted to embrace the sides of the bar N, and thus be held in place, the pins M serving to more exactly locatev the shields on the bar. As it may be desirable in some instances tov place these shields together, so as to make a comparatively long space, I make them of the form shown in plan, Fig.'6that is, the ends are alternately recessed, so that they can interlock, and thus allow the cam-pieces K to become continuous, and the same is true of the cam-pieces K.

From the above description it may be seen that by locating the cam-pieces in a certain order column or tabulated work maybe done with great facility and with any desired spacing.

The shield-pieces are made of all desirable lengths and are interchangeable and may be combined so that two or more may act as one, or they may be removed altogether and the machine used for its normal work.

The use of the cam K is to prevent the operator from inadvertently printing while the paper is being carried by the paper-carriage over one of the spaces reserved for blanks. As arranged, with the cam K in combination with the cam K on the shield, the operator though accidentally or inadvertently striking a key could not depress it sufficiently to print, as the projection on the pawl 11 would come in contact with the cam K, and thus prevent the further motion of the printing mechanism.

I claim- 1. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a feeding mechanism comprising a rack-bar, a holding-pawl and a limber or feeding pawl, a bar to release said feeding mechanism and one or more detachable and adj ustable shields provided with cam projections secured to said release-bar, one of the cams being adapted to lift the locking-pawl to skip feed for column-work and the other to lock the limber-pawl and preventing the operation of the printing devices.

2. A feed-release bar for type-writing machines, provided with one or more adjustable and detachable shields having cams thereon adapted upon operation of the feed-release bar to release the holding-pawl and to lock the feed-pawl, all substantially as described.

8. In a type-writing machine, two or more shields adapted to operate as described and provided with cam-blocks K and K, one set in advance of the other whereby they may act at the same time upon the pawlsE and II, of the feeding mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 21st day of February, A. D. 1898.

WILLIAM SEARS. lVit-nesses:

FRANK G. PARKER, XVILLIAM EDSON. 

